


Your Biggest Fan

by ThatScottishShipper



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Don’t post to another site, Fanart, Fanfiction, Halloween, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-20 21:10:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21288233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatScottishShipper/pseuds/ThatScottishShipper
Summary: Fanartist Keith is approached by his favourite Fanfic Writer, Shiro, who wants help creating a Halloween horror zine.*Haunted VLD Exchange fill*
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44
Collections: Haunted VLD Exchange 2019, VLD Halloween Exchange





	Your Biggest Fan

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flailingthroughsanity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flailingthroughsanity/gifts).

A cold cappuccino sat by a rainbow of pencils, overlooking a black hole.

Furious scribbling, drawn into a creepy world much more horrifying than the one of fake plush spiders and pseudo spooky tinsel, Keith  _ created _ . He gave birth, gave life to concepts and emotions often buried away in the daily consciousness.

Fear. Panic. Hysteria. Death.

As an artist, he thrived on exploring the darkness and the psychological tightrope everyone teetered on.

Even if others did not appreciate his heart on a canvas as much.

“RedCat?”

Startled, Keith shot up from his scattered drawings into the eyes of a dark eyed Adonis. He had no idea who addressed him with his online persona, something that worried him without the safety of the Screen.

“Who’s asking?” As hunky as this tall stranger was, a stranger was still a stranger.

The man held his hands up, smiling gently. “Sorry, I get this is kind of weird, but I recognise your artwork. You’re RedCat, right? I’m kind of a fan.”

Clutching his pens close, like they were his children, Keith stared analytically at the man with the peculiar hairstyle. A snow white fringe fell from a blackened buzzcut.

He racked his brains, trying to think of who this ‘fan’ might be. He shuffled into himself, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “Sorry, but you could be anybody. Online world’s a pretty big place, and all.”

The stranger acknowledged that truth with a nod. “That’s true. But there’s only one RedCat… and one StarlightShiro.”

Flabbergasted, a pen clattered out his hand, hitting the coffee stained table below. His surprised face gave away any indication that he could bluff his way from this situation.

_ ‘No way,’  _ he told himself over and over again.  _ ‘There’s no way he’s the real deal.’ _

“Prove it.”

The words shot out before he could stop them, and he regretted it, sensing he made a bigger deal out of this than he meant to. But then again, anyone with social media savvy could find out the close friendship shared by two fan content creators.

Especially how  _ friendly _ they became in their messages to one another.

As if suspecting this, Shiro smirked awkwardly, then recited from the bottom of his heart. “ _ ‘If you get too worried about what could go wrong, you might miss a chance to do something great.’ He came close, and whispered, “Let me be one of those things. _ ”

In an instant, Keith’s brain went into galaxy orbit.

_ ‘Oh. My. God. _

_ The real StarlightShiro. Here. _

_ In front of me. Reciting ship fics in public.’ _

“Okay, okay, I believe you,” Keith interrupted, suffering from second hand embarrassment.

Satisfied, Shiro rubbed his hands together. “Great. Mind if I sit with you?” Around them, the bustling crowds took up every conceivable space, hugging onto their spice pumpkin lattes and gingerbread hot drinks. “It’s kinda crowded in here.”

Trying to play it cool after completely  _ blowing it _ , Keith brushed his tangled mullet back. “Sure.”

As Shiro sat in the chair beside him, Keith’s insides  _ melted _ .

StarlightShiro,  _ the _ StarlightShiro, sat beside him, treating him like a friend. To Keith, it felt like all the planets aligned, blessing him with this cosmic hottie that won his heart long ago with lyrically written fan fiction about men in love.

Never before had Keith related to fictional characters so hard.

“Actually, there’s something I kinda want to ask you,” Shiro confessed, conveying a tender look from across the table. “I was hoping to message you about it later on, but…” Sinfully warm eyes beckoned Keith’s attention. “You’re here.”

“Sure,” Keith said, pretending to be nonchalant about the fact that his heart was about to explode with feelings. “I have some free time.”

Shiro’s smile was like sunshine, and Keith tugged his beanie hat down to hide his burning face.

“Great! Well, you know me,” Shiro admitted, running his fingers along the rim of his coffee cup. “I’ve been in zine circles for some time now.”

Keith knew that well. Starlight Shiro was  _ the _ BNF, the Mod of all Mods in a string of successful zines and exchanges within various fandoms. It was through an fancreation exchange, where they had been matched together, that they got to talking.

It was no surprise someone as ambitious, and hardworking, and attractive…

Keith coughed, then took a mouthful of his frothy drink.

“And I have a little project in mind.” Shiro glanced warmly at Keith. “And if you’re free, I’d  _ love _ your input.”

Raising his eyebrows, Keith grew intrigued. “Huh.”

“I’m laying the foundations for a new zine, and honestly? I’d love to work alongside you again.”

Keith flushed. Shiro’s words from his exchanged fan fiction still left a deep impression on Keith, drawing him into a perfect zone of emotion where the screen wall did not exist.

It was as if StarlightShiro reached through the screen, and squeezed his heart.

“There’s no other horror themed zines for the holidays,” Shiro explained. “So, there’s less chances of stepping on toes, and it seems like a good opportunity. I… want your help.”

Confused, Keith stared at his artwork.  _ ‘He... wants me?’ _

For the project, of course.

But inside, Keith felt conflicted. His last zine experience still haunted him, resorting to an absolute failure between bickering BNFs and power hungry moderators.

Keith remembered the flicker of hope when he finally got accepted as a contributor, after months of rejection. His art, bled with a darkened edge, always scared off others, and he almost resigned himself to lonely posts.

And Keith knew better than anybody what burnout felt like, an artistic drive fizzling out to nothing.

Then, of course, the social media blowup with the usual negative swarm, and the fallout involving art from his very soul.

No. Keith couldn’t go through that again.

“I don’t know,” Keith started, then he caught sight of Shiro staring at his drawings.

Heat crept upon his cheeks, as he saw a gloved hand touching the edge of one of his pieces. It had to be the one representing his feelings after a stream of online abuse, his vulnerability in dizzying swirls screaming from the heart of a silhouette trapped by the void.

He felt… exposed under Shiro’s watchful gaze.

“Hey, there’s no pressure,” Shiro clarified, raising a hand gently. “But the offer’s there because you’ve got potential.”

_ ‘As if,’ _ Keith thought to himself, unable to grasp what someone as amazing as StarlightShiro saw in him. “I’ve never even worked a zine before, and it’s a lot of dealing with other people, right?”

Sensing the young man’s unease, Shiro nodded. “Yeah, but that’s also a good thing. You’ll never be stuck, or alone if you need help. And fandoms are communities based on a lot of people working together.”

Keith stayed silent, so Shiro continued. “We all had to start somewhere. I remember my first zine, and boy! Too ambitious! But thanks to a few good friends, it didn’t end in  _ total _ disaster.”

After occupying every single one of StarlightShiro’s zines, Keith couldn’t believe it.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Shiro said, smouldering gaze burning into Keith’s unsteady eyes. “You’re really good, RedCat.”

“Keith!”

The sudden outburst took both of them by surprise, drawing the attention of a few nearby patrons, plunging the coffee shop into a temporary lull of silence. Once conversation resumed, Keith mumbled, ashamed of himself.

“...It’s Keith…”

“Keith,” Shiro repeated, then smiled. “Duly noted.”

They exchanged warm smiles before Shiro continued. “I’ve been thinking of a Halloween themed zine for some time, so it seemed like a fitting time of the year. The content still needs to be looked at, appropriate for the demographic if it's a safe for work zine...”

Resting his cheek against his pain, Keith lost himself in those dreamy eyes. “Horror’s a state of mind. It’s the creeping, on-edge feeling it leaves you with. Doesn’t have to be blood or a high body count. That’s why even a car, or a typewriter, or a lamp can be scary in the right…” He paused. “Are you  _ laughing? _ ”

Caught in the act, Shiro chuckled. “Sorry…  _ lamp? _ ”

Keith pouted. “You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

“A little,” Shiro confessed, giving him a wink. “But I do get it. That’s the vibe I got from your masterpieces.”

_ Masterpieces. _

Flushed, Keith fought to get the words out. “C’mon. I’m not that good…”

“You kidding? You’re incredible.” Shiro gushed from across the table, running a hand through his white fringe, his face animated with excitement. “Like I said, I’m kind of a fan, no, a big fan, so meeting you today is, like, a dream come true.”

Holding his breath, Keith blushed, unable to believe what he was hearing. Someone as perfect as StarlightShiro praised Keith’s work so highly.

His eyes pricked with tears.

Suddenly, Shiro’s eyes went wide, and he reeled back. “Wow, sorry. Hah, tmi much?”

“No,” Keith said quietly, shaking his head. “I get it. I mean, your stories are amazing. I don’t get how you do it. You can, y’know, make eating breakfast sound like a poetic piece of art.”

“It’s nothing special,” Shiro shot back, leaning back in his chair and admiring the artist from across the table. “I just… write the world as I see it. That and keep a thesaurus by hand.”

Clearing his throat Keith asked. “So, what do you want me to do? Contribute?”

Shiro nodded. “Of course, and maybe be my right hand man? You know your stuff when it comes to art, and you’ve got a real eye for aesthetics. That is if you’re not too busy. So…” Hope in his eyes,Shiro held out his hand towards Keith, radiating with the glowing confidence of an experienced fandom content creator that knew what he was doing. “You on board, Keith?”

Heat bloomed on his face, his dark eyes widened at the outstretched hand and that perfect smile. Keith should have been scared, he should have been skeptical, he should have been running for the hills and never looking back.

But regardless, his heart won out, and Keith took Shiro’s hand, cherishing this moment forever.

“I’m all in, Starlight.”

Suddenly, it was Shiro’s turn to beam red, stunned by the boldness of this friend he only just met face to face for the first time. Once the shock evaporated, he smiled softly, warmth twinkling in his eyes catching a violet glint in the light.

“Call me Takashi.”

**Author's Note:**

> My fill for the Haunted VLD Exchange for flailingthroughinsaity, with a very flexible prompt, but with Shiro and Keith making a horror novel/meta points for a zine. How could I refuse?
> 
> In this story, I went with the AU of Fanartist Keith meeting Fanfic writer Shiro, who approaches the other with the possibility of working on a zine together. And they’re already disasters over each other online, so the feelings carry over to the real world!
> 
> Keith carries the insecurities after experiencing past zine drama and online abuse, so is understandably worries about trusting and working with others again. Good thing Shiro the Hero is here!
> 
> Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. 🖤❤️


End file.
